Small Talks: Erin McGean

Erin McGean is a collage artist based in Oakville, Ontario. McGean’s eye-catching style of collage, which merges female bodies with ecological imagery, produces beautiful, empowering vignettes of femininity in the natural world. Using found vintage images and analog, as well as digital, tools of deconstruction, McGean’s work is visually harmonious and rich with experiments of form and color. Erin’s pieces have been exhibited across North America, including recent shows through PxP Contemporary, the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, and the Orillia Museum of Art and History among others. You can check out more of her work on her website, and keep up with her latest projects through Instagram and Twitter.

On March 23rd, 4pm EST, Erin will lead a class on Spring-inspired collage as part of March workshop series.

Your Volume 14 sketchbook, “Disconnection,” is filled with these wonderful botanical collages of female figures entwined with flowers and foliage. Can you talk about what the process was like building each sketchbook spread?

“Disconnection” was my first submission to the Sketchbook Project and I wanted to create a cohesive book that had good flow. I was working with a lot of botanical images at the time so I had lots of flowers and plants already cut up. The idea was to color-coordinate the pages and have them progress from one page to the next. I created each collage separately and then laid them out in a row on a table to make sure each page transitioned nicely from one to the next.

I am also so fascinated by your celestial Tiny Sketchbook, “Small Secrets.” Working in such a small format has its challenges, and I was hoping you could speak about working on those miniature collages.

I was traveling a lot when I worked on my first Tiny Sketchbook so the small size was great for portability. I collected lots of little bits and put them in a little wooden box along with the tiny sketchbook and some basic materials. All I had to do is grab the box and go. It was definitely a challenge to cut up things so small and I ended up buying a magnifying light to help me out. This tool has really come in handy. I'm currently working on my Tiny Sketchbook Vol. 2.

Do you keep a sketchbook as part of your daily practice? Do you find that sketching helps you plan out collages and other visual projects?

I have multiple sketchbooks on the go but not much drawing or sketching within them. I do quick rough collages for ideas and jot down notes or ideas. I must admit I rarely draw anymore.

Do you consider collage to be a form of sketching?

Yes, definitely. If I don't have time to go to my studio and do quick little, rough collages then I use a few different apps to make collage concepts on my phone.

You have such a distinct style. Where did your fascination with ecological and feminine imagery come from? Were these themes and motifs always present from the beginning of your creative development or was it something you came to through experimentation?

Ever since I was in high school, I used the female form to represent myself in my art. When I was younger, my work was darker and I often placed the figure in a cold, man-made environment. I guess at the time I was feeling more lost and lonely than my current mature self. Slowly, over time my work became lighter and happier, and the cold environments in my paintings were replaced with landscapes, plants and flowers in my collages. I think becoming a mother had a lot to do with the positive turn my work took, along with a realization that I had a strong connection to nature and I wanted to celebrate that in my art. Currently, my work is taking a more in-depth look at the history of the female nude in photography and its relationship to the male gaze where women are presented as objects of beauty.

Oftentimes the most daunting part of collage is cutting up and deconstructing images, then deciding where to paste this fragment permanently onto the page. How do you overcome that fear?

When I first started to work in collage I felt this fear. I especially didn't want to waste good images or ruin things with glue. One trick I've learned is when possible I scan my work before I glue, just in case. My fear to glue things down has subsided simply because now I've made so many collages and have drawers full of cut-up imagery I find I’m a lot less nervous waste or ruin things. I make mistakes but try not to worry and just go on to the next collage. Not all art we make is meant to be good. “You need to crack some eggs to make an omelet,” as they say.

How do you source the printed matter and photographs you incorporate into your collages? Are you always collecting images?

Old magazines are the easiest to collect. But recently I've gotten quite picky with my materials and really love to work with vintage magazines or books from the 50s and 60s. I find the paper and ink has an interesting sheen and quality to it. Finding new materials is so much fun and part of the journey for me as a collage artist. I stop at my local Goodwill, look on Kijiji for people getting rid of crates of books. But my favorite is to go to an antique market and hunt for old nude photography magazines and books. Then, of course, looking through them also gives me great pleasure.

Was collage always your medium of choice or was it something you came to over time?

I studied painting and drawing in university and for a short time I enjoyed a brief career as a painter. Time to create art was very limited when my kids were young so I took a short hiatus from creating. Then, 2012 I downloaded Instagram and discovered lots of new forms of art and it sparked my creativity and got me producing again. I experimented with photography and editing my images, eventually leading to work that really was digital collage. From there, I transitioned into analog collage because I wanted to create something more tactile and return to using my hands more than just a computer.

Along with working with analogue materials, you also experiment with digital collage. How does the process differ for you? Do you incorporate print with digital technology?

For me digital collage is a bit easier because you can find the images so quickly on open source websites. Then you can size them however you like, change color saturation, etc. The limitations of analog collage seem to push me creatively more. Recently, I began to digitally edit my analog collages which is a process I enjoy and will continue to experiment with. For years, I've been searching for a way to creatively marry my digital and analog techniques.

What are some art supplies that you can’t live without?

Sharp blades, fresh glue sticks, spray adhesive, good support paper, and a cutting mat.

Who are some artists that influenced your own creative development?

When I was young I fell in love with the work of Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, and Canadian artist Emily Carr. My current contemporary obsessions are with collage artist Wangechi Mutu, Elizabeth Zvonar, and Marisa Maestre.

Where do you find inspiration today?

My constant source of inspiration comes from my experiences as a female and a mother along with a lifelong connection and reverence for nature.

How can people support your work?

People can support me by checking out my website, subscribing to my emails, and, of course, purchasing an original collage or print.